


Sailing in salt

by Tyrelingkitten



Category: One Piece
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Gen, One Shot, challenge, whitebeard crew week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-04-25 04:38:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4947016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrelingkitten/pseuds/Tyrelingkitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For <a href="http://whitebeardcrew-week.tumblr.com/">Whitebeard Crew Week</a>.</p><p>Day 1 - Marco's bday - Another year goes by and Marco tries to make the best of it.<br/>Day 2 - Rivals - That one time they had a drink together.<br/>Day 5 - Adventures - Reactions to new discoveries during their journeys.<br/>Day 3 - Marineford - His impending death left him feeling nothing but distant and empty.<br/>Day 9 - Commanders -  Card playing on Moby Dick.<br/>Day 4 - Aftermath -  Marco and Shanks have a talk after the burial.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sailing in salt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 - Marco's birthday, celebrations.

The night sky is cloudless tonight, baring a map of twinkling stars in the dark void. The Jolly Roger flutters along the wind and stops when the wind dies down. The sea is calm tonight, rocking the ship gently. It’s been the most peaceful night they have ever encountered since the war. The ground crew who have been listed for the graveyard shift, have kept their voices low while they talked to one another, playing card games, keeping their eyes peeled for enemy attacks from all sides. 

From the Crow’s nest, Marco could tell how tiny the crew has become. Only five people for the graveyard shift as opposed to twenty in their original line up. 

The ship used to be so crowded; every night was filled with laughter and parties. And every day had at least one daunting task of finding an empty toilet to do their business. 

After the war, the marines and rival pirates had decimated the crew size and now only one third of the original Whitebeard crew and its alliance have been able to survive. How much longer would the Whitebeard Pirates need to bear until they were picked off one by one by Death? 

Involuntarily, Marco closes his eyes and tries to dispel the tension in his chest. They’re pirates. They choose freedom in the sea. Death shouldn’t be a dreadful concept given their profession. 

A lone News-Coo squawks as it flew towards the Crow’s Nest for a rest and picks at its feathers with its beak. 

“Late night, yoi?” Marco asks the News-Coo, who blinks its eyes at him and huffs some bird call, flexing its wings before curling itself into a ball. 

“Right.” Marco tugged the blankets tighter around his shoulders. “Any news for us?” 

News-Coo shoots him a baleful glare, clearly annoyed for being disturbed from its sleep and reluctantly shows Marco its messenger bag. 

“Thank you.” Marco presses a treat into News-Coo’s talon and takes one of the newspapers from the messenger bag. 

He uses a small oil lamp to scan the headlines on the front page and nearly burns the paper when he sees the new bounties of the Strawhat Pirates. He re-reads the short anecdotes behind the reasons for Strawhats’ newest bounty changes and then stares at Luffy’s newest bounty.

“500 million beli.” Marco reads. “Impressive.” The sight of a smiling Luffy clears the nostalgia from his mind and Marco is immediately on his feet shouting and waving to the ground crew, “Hey everyone! Look what just got in!” 

 

* * *

  **End**

* * *

 

**Bonus:**

He scales down the mast and spreads out the newspaper for everyone to see. 

“That’s Ace’s brother, ain’t it?”

“Wow, look how much he’s grown.” 

“500 mil already? He’s nearly Ace’s bounty now.”

“What a troublemaker. Taking down another Shichibukai and teaming with an ex-Shichibukai again.”

“Not like it’s any different when Jinbei was around.”

“Oh look it says here, he’s got more people sailing under his name. Impressive.”

“Five thousand men already? What the heck was going on in Dressrosa?”

“You know, guys… Ace’s bro reminds me a bit of… pops.” 

“All them younguns invading the New World with growing bounties. Is this what Pops called the new era?” 

Marco rubs his chin absently. “You know… I think I have an idea. We’ll go meet the Strawhats in their journey and..” He paused, struggling to get his thoughts together.

“And?” one of the crew prompted. 

“And we’ll extend… an alliance to the Strawhats.”

“Are you sure, Marco? Do you want to mingle with them.” 

“I don’t know.” Marco tapped chin again. “But I’m sure we can work something out with Ace’s brother.”

* * *

 

_and then they may join forces with Luffy’s crew. As long as Edward Weeble hadn’t got to them first._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late for wbweek ;;; whoops.


	2. Sailing in salt ~serendipity~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That one time they had a drink together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 - enemies, rivals

Marco coughs when a flurry of pink blossoms blasts into his face, carried by the wind of spring time. He sputters and tries to bat the petals off his face. The pink, dreamlike landscape wouldn’t have bothered him much were it not for the everlasting spring season had decided on foiling his every plan to remain the cool and collected First commander of the Whitebeard crew. Flower petals were raining everywhere from the sky, decorated the upper deck, collecting in crooks and crannies of their sails and masts and some even managed to entangle in the the nest of Marco’s hair. 

Marco narrows his eyes at Dark King, Rayleigh, snickering at his predicament before Rayleigh politely turns away to hide his laughter. Marco glares at Rayleigh’s shaking shoulders and draws in a long and collected breath to clear the irritation. No reason for him to get irritated at nature. No reason to get angry when the Right Hand of the Pirate King was laughing at his expanse. He was mature enough to go with the flow. The memories of delinquent days in his youth were all dust and dirt he could sweep under the rug. For today at least.

Marco resumes his stance at the helm, back straight and his arms crossed over his chest, facing the hill where Pops and the Pirate King had gone off to, dragging huge barrels of alcohol behind them. More flowers spiral down from that direction into Marco’s face.

“What do you reckon Pops and Gold Roger are talking up there?” 

Marco glances to his right where Blenheim is tugging and slipping a knotted string around his fingers, playing Cat’s Cradle to stave off his jittery nerves. 

“The seas and the islands aren’t shaking. So I suppose they’re just… drinking up there.” 

“Help me out here, Marco.” Blenheim says absently and shows Marco the complicated webbed string he had managed to create. “Give me a star! ”

Sighing, Marco reaches out one hand and slips his fingers around various openings and pulls, to create a double star. 

Blenheim grins at his accomplishment. “So anyway. Does that mean we have to play nice with the Roger pirates now?” 

“Yeah. Unfortunately. I honestly don’t know what the Pirate King is thinking anyway.” Marco pulls his fingers free from the Cat’s cradle and shoots a suspicious glance to the Roger Pirates. “They have already found Raftel anyway. It’s not like they want to gloat in Pops’ face… are they?”

Rayleigh is smirking innocently at him. As if he hasn’t used haki to listen into their conversation like the sneak he is. 

Marco’s eyebrows twitch.

“Oi Dark King!” Marco finally takes the bait. “WANNA DRINK? I’m sure Pops and Roger gonna take a long time to finish… whatever business they have over there.”

Rayleigh smirks some more and angles his face in such a way that his glasses glint ominously. “Sure. Why not?” Rayleigh gestures to their respective ships. “Your place or mine?”

“Beach?” Marco tilts his head towards the island. 

“Definitely. Meet you there, Phoenix!” Rayleigh grins as he turns and waves a redheaded errand boy over to pass a message, too low for Marco to hear.

“WHAT. THE. HELL. ARE. YOU. DOING?” Blenheim and Vista chorus, baring down on Marco’s face at the same time.

“Taking my time.” Marco pushes their faces away. “To enjoy a drink in this lovely weather.” 

“WHAT IF HE ATTACKS YOU WHEN YOU’RE DRUNK?”

“Please.” Marco shakes his head at them. “If my life is in danger, which I doubt it is, I’m sure you guys can sink Rogers crew immediately. They’re anchored right next to us.”

He jumps off the helm to the upper deck and orders some alcohol to be brought on land. The crew scramble around to meet his demands.

 

 

 

“This is like a date?” Rayleigh comments later when they’re both finishing the second bottle of alcohol, cheeks flushed and black and white logic no longer takes importance.

Marco snorts, “You wish, Dark King.” And he raises another bottle. “More?” 

“Yes, please.” 

 

**End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled to get some writing about them. But since fanon Whitebeard is covered so well in fanfiction by amazing one piece writers out there, I’m… intimidated and just couldn’t come up with anything. 
> 
> Hope you like this anyway. ;~;


	3. Sailing in salt ~shock~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reactions to new discoveries during their journeys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5- October 9th: Grand Line - Adventures

Of course, sailing the seas for over several decades sparked the usual outcries from his children. In the days when his crew only consisted of about hundred crew members on the Moby Dick and the seas were still 75% undiscovered islands, people, species and culture, it was almost the norm to hear these shrieks when they disembark:

“OH MY GOOOOD!”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?”

“IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE FOOD?” 

“THE HECK IS THIS?”

“AAAAHHHH WE’RE GONNA GET EATEN!”

“GURARARARA!”

They have seen mermaids, unicorns, people with bird wings, dragons and dragon nests, fairies and minks and sea king graveyards. And after a few decades of sailing and seeing the world, the novelty of new species, new food, new whatever dies down and everyone is taking each island with stride.

“Oh look, a huge sea king festival. Marco, can I get some allowance to stock up sea king meat?”

“Awww we just got attacked by human gorillas. Who wants to deal with them? My shift is done, I’m going to bed.”

“This live squid tastes like heaven. What did you put in them to make them squirt this delicious sauce?” 

“Pops, I’m heading out, okay? Will be back by midnight. Do you want your usual drinks?”

“GURARARARA! Stay sharp son. Those flying mantises aren’t just insects with cutters in the garden. Look, the king is coming right at you GURARARARA!”

Well, everyone is taking it with stride, except-

“WUOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! LOOK AT THOSE BLADES. I WONDER HOW THEY WOULD TASTE LIKE FRIED ON HIGH HEAT! WOAAAH THE FUCK IS THAT MOVE?- WOAH! OIII WATCH WHERE YOU WAVE THAT CUTTER YOU ASSHOLE!” 

-Except Ace. Their newest adopted family member. And it still brings amusement to Pops’ face to see his youngest child of the sea in awe with the world. 

“POPS LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT YOU!” Ace waves his newly smoked sea king meat above his head.

 

**The end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can easily see Ace looking at things in wonder like Luffy. 
> 
> /sobs in corner


	4. Sailing in salt ~fallout~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His impending death left him feeling nothing but distant and empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 Marineford, angst

The world goes quiet in that one instant of bravery.

Akainu’s hand has protruded his chest, burning his lungs and insides to crisp and melting his bones. His blood is splattered all over the place, dripping down from the hole in his chest. 

All Ace sees is Luffy before him, kneeling on the floor, staring wide-eyed back at him. 

“AAAAACCCEEEEUUUUU!” 

He hears but his mind doesn’t focus on the syllables, completely disconnected as Ace feels his body slowly shutting down.

The edges of his world waver in color scale, from gray to white, obscured by his hanging hair and Luffy’s own, until all he could make out are shadows moving about before him.

… it’s strange. 

He knows he has been hit. Taken a critical hit.

But he doesn’t feel the searing pain. 

The scent of burnt flesh doesn’t register in his mind. 

His mind is so, so, so quiet while his heart thuds fast and slow at the same time. 

Could-have-been’s and would-have-been’s flit in the back of his eyes as tears well up and he whispers into Luffy’s hair, hopes the wind could carry his words to Pops and his brothers, “Thank you, for loving this worthless me.” 

 

**End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOBS CURLED UP IN A CORNER


	5. Sailing in salt ~cards~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Card playing on Moby Dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 9 - October 13th: Izou’s Birthday - Commanders

“Is it just me, or has someone started using gallons of perfume?” Blenheim sniffed, scrunching his face in disgust and flapped his hands a bit in an attempt to wave off the nauseating plume of lingering on deck. He rearranged his cards and knocked on the table.

“Must be Vista.” Jozu took a swig from his bottle, slapping his cards face down.

“How did you.” Blenheim asked, sneezed, “Know? What if it’s Izou?”

“Izou tends to prefer the sweeter and subtler scents like sandalwood and orchids.” Jozu pointed out. “Vista… well. Vista is Vista. You know him better than I do, ain’t I right Marco?”

“Hmmm.” Marco rubbed his chin as he stared at his deck of cards and glanced to all the players across him. “Did anyone check the rose garden yet? If all the roses are gone, then it’s probably Vista, yoi.”

“What does that have to do with Vista?” Blenheim grumbled, pinching his nose a few times, training his nostrils to get used to the unusual scent around them.

“Is it Vista’s weekly bath now?” Jozu hummed, squinting at his own deck and sighed. “Fold.”

Marco and Blenheim shared a look. They mentally counted down the days of Vista unusual habit of taking long baths rivaling their sisters and Izou and agreed, “Aaah, no wonder.”  

Blenheim sneezed again.

“I’ll tell him next time to keep the concentrated fumes to a minimum.” Marco promised solemnly and opened his deck on the table. “I win.”  

Jozu and Blenheim groaned, both slapping down their cards in a huff.

Marco cackled as he beckoned with his fingers. “Pay up, yoi.”

“I’m never gonna play cards with you again,” Jozu grumbled.

“All my pocket money, all gone.” Blenheim groaned. 

“Work harder next time then.” Marco scraped his wins and started counting the beli in front of his brothers.

From his peripheral vision, Vista finally climbed up the upper deck and approached their game table. As he got closer, the heavy scent of roses engulfed them in one cloud sending everyone into a sneezing fit.

“Stay away. You’re interfering with my health.” Blenheim shooed him with his hands.

“Next time.” Marco coughed. “Please don’t use too much concentrated rose oil.”

“I’ll crush your rose buds if you try to suffocate us again in your perfume.” Jozu flapped with his hands in an attempt to clear the air.

“Ahhh, you can’t get rid of me that easily, dearest brothers.” Vista grinned. “Care for a new game, everyone? You all started without me.” He did his best to pout but the impressive curled mustache hid his puffed cheeks and rolled over a barrel of wine between Marco and Jozu. 

Blenheim rolled his eyes. “Oh stop it, Vista. You’re not Izou.”

“It’s my cutest look. What’s wrong it?” Vista asked indignantly.

“Please don’t do cute anymore.” Jozu deadpanned.

“It’s unbecoming of you.” Marco snorted.

“Well anyway.” Vista sniffed. “Shall we begin the game again?”

Marco shared a conspicuous look with Blenheim and Jozu and then straightened his back, shuffling the cards. “Sure. Pay upfront first, brother. Five thousand beli in advance.”

“F-five thousand beli? Why?” Vista blubbered. “Are you trying to punch a hole in my wallet?” 

“I lost all my pocket money earlier.” Jozu said helpfully.

“Mine as well.” Blenheim added. “So now you’re kinda paying for all three of us.”

“What kind of logic is this? Since when?” Vista glared at both Jozu and Blenheim. 

“Since… Marco said so.” 

Marco nodded along. “Yep. Put down your wallet so we can begin.”

“Come on, Vista! Pay up! We gotta begin now before lunch break!” 

 

* * *

 

Izou rubbed his forehead as he stepped out of the sleeping quarters. Dinner should be served soon. The sun was hanging low by the horizon, painting orange, yellow and red across the skies. He spotted his newest brother sitting on the balcony, staring below. 

“Something interesting down there, Ace?” 

Ace looked up, the sunset colored his freckles redder than before, and he smiled. “Yeah. They’re scamming each other with big bucks.”

Izou peered over the balcony to see whoever were downstairs and hummed noncommittally. “Unsurprising. Nobody has ever beaten Marco in this card game.” 

“Hoho~ the bar is set so high, I’m interested!” Ace smirked as his eyes glinted, “I’ll beat Marco in the next game.” 

 

**The end**


	6. Sailing in salt ~regroup~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco and Shanks have a talk after the burial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 - October 8th: Two Years Later - Aftermath

“Thanks.” Marco poured a cup for his companion. “For everything, Shanks.”

 

“You’ve said it already, Marco. It’s all fine. Now, come,” Shanks raised his cup, “Help me finish this bottle of wine.” Without waiting for Marco’s response, Shanks grabbed hold of the bottle and poured the content into a second cup.

 

Marco held up a hand to stop Shanks. “No, yoi. I’m trying to stay sober for tonight.” 

 

“I insist.” Shanks said, his eyes dark and serious. “I think you really need a drink tonight. Like everyone else in your crew.”  

 

“Then who’s going to keep an eye on them, yoi?” Marco tilts his he had pointedly to his remaining brothers. Most of them are huddled in front of graveyard, tears streaming freely from their eyes as they sobbed into their cups of alcohol. It was supposed to be a big party, saying goodbye to the passing as they drink to the spirits and ate food for the ones who could no longer be with them. The Red Hair Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates were pressing shoulders together, sharing the abundance of food around as they recounted moments from the past and sang old pirates songs to the night sky.

 

Marco, himself, had stopped crying for the dead. He had no more tears to shed. All that had been dried up, sealed away under the heavy set of responsibility that was now expected of him, as the First Commander of the original Whitebeard crew. 

 

“They’ll be fine. For now.” Shanks said seriously. “We’ve already checked the perimeters ourselves. If anyone gets passed our security, we’ll hold them back.”

 

“Again, thank you.” Marco breathed as he reluctantly accepted the cup and downed it in one go. “How would we ever going to repay you, yoi?”

 

Shanks hummed as he rubbed his chin, lightly plucking his growing beard. “How about you join our crew, Marco?” The underlying teasing tone was absent. 

 

Marco shot him a glare, a sarcastic insult at the back of his throat. His urge to fight Shanks for dangling that position in front of his face when Pops and many of his brothers had just died, hit the peak of annoyance, before he stopped himself and stared at his empty cup. 

 

Shanks was right. Marco still had the option to join another crew as powerful as a new Yonkou like Shanks. But… what about the rest of the Whitebeard crew? What about his brothers? And their fragile alliances with various pirate crews? Will they go after Blackbeard for revenge? How will they handle the changes of territories? And the power struggle in the New World?

 

“You don’t have to to give me an answer right away.” Shanks continued as he filled Marco’s cup and then his own. “Just think about it for a few days. We’ll be here for two more days anyway and then we’ll head out to continue our journey. Give me your answer by then, okay?” 

 

Marco struggled to find the answer, turning his cup around in circles as he stared blankly at his hands. In the past, he might have jumped at the perfect opportunity to change ships but after sailing with Pops for twenty something years, he understood the transition won’t be as easy as one would have expected. “I’ll think about it, yeah.” He finally decided and Shanks seemed satisfied and clinked their cups together. 

 

“How did you do it?” Marco wondered. “When Roger… died?”

 

The grin disappeared and Shanks pressed his lips together in a flat line. “We moved on. At some point. Traveled around the world. Hit the lowest point of life.” Shanks raised his cup to Marco, his dark eyes pinning Marco to his seat. “And one day,  _you_  will realize the void will always be there, but it’s no longer that painful as the first time.”

 

 

Marco and Shanks shared a long thoughtful look before Marco burst out laughing. 

 

“You’re younger than me and you’re giving a geezer like me some life advice, yoi. Insolent brat!” 

 

“My best speech, you know. Benny would be so proud of me.” Shanks harrumphed. “And we were having a moment too. Read the damn atmosphere, Marco!” 

 

**End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna know more abt the Red Hair Pirates and Marco’s side.


End file.
